Little Ant
by Lilybookworm13
Summary: She had been called many things in her life - Ant, Nettie, Antoinette and Toni. They said Ant was spoilt and Nettie was sarcastic and Antoinette was stuck up but what was Toni?
1. Chapter 1

They called her Ant. Short for Antoinette but also because she was the youngest and smallest of the family.

At five years old she already hated the pet name, it wasn't her fault that she was the baby and some day she'd be as big as everyone else and when she was they wouldn't be able to call her Ant.

For the past four days she hasn't been called anything, except for a poor orphan. She wasn't sure what an orphan was but she thought it was something to do with her mama and papa going to the stars.

There was an accident. A car drove into them. Grandma said they would be happy and at peace. Granddaddy told her she would be living with them now because Mama and Papa had died.

Her parents were in the ground behind the house, under the dirt where Ant was planting flowers. Mama liked daffodils best because they were bright and colourful. Papa liked roses, sometimes he'd buy one each for his special girls; a red one for Mama and a pink one for Ant.

She watched as the two big wooden boxes were put in the ground. Her parents were in the boxes. She didn't understand why they were going into the ground when Grandma said they were going to the sky. Everyone was crying, she was too. She was never going to see her Mama and Papa again. Mama would never read her another story - they never finished The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Papa would never swing her around when he came in from work and dance with her on his feet. They would never sit at their small round table with the yellow cloth. She would never be the best big sister that she was planning to be.

She couldn't read what the big stone said but she recognised her last name and four sets of numbers. Granddaddy told her they were the years they were born and died.

Ant stood up and admired her work of planting the flowers.

"Goodbye Mama, Papa. I'll see you tomorrow." She kissed the big stone and then ran towards the house.


	2. Chapter 2

Antoinette never looked forward to family dinners, she preferred it when it was just her and her grandparents, because she could talk all she wanted and she always got more than enough to eat.

She liked her family but they were all so loud and she didn't get a chance to speak, which was extremely difficult for a growing girl, and they ate everything in sight!

"Antoinette, will you help me set the table?" The twelve year old looked up from the piano and nodded.

"Will everyone be here for dinner Grandma?" She asked, closing the lid of the piano and standing up.

"I believe so. I've made an extra pie, I don't think everyone got a slice last time," Miriam Hazelton said.

"I got the burnt bit," Antoinette said, walking into the kitchen. She lifted the plates and napkins from the counter and went into the dining room.

"One, two, three.." She counted as she arranged each plate and napkin. She returned to the kitchen for the cutlery and like always began humming.

"I got rhythm, I got music, I got my man

Who could ask for anything more?

I've got daisies in green pastures

I've got my man

Who could ask for anything more?"

"Do you ever stop singing Ant?" David Hazelton laughed, taking his boots off at the back door into the kitchen.

"It would be quiet if I didn't Granddaddy," Antoinette replied.

"Because that would be awful," he said. "We could do with some peace and quiet around here."

"You don't mean that. Anyway I need the practice. I've decided that I'm going to be a famous musician," Antoinette said, looking between her grandparents.

"Of course you are Ant," Miriam said, in a tone that Antoinette recognised as just agreeing with her rather than arguing.

A car was heard outside and Antoinette ran to look out the window. It was Aunt Sarah and Uncle Luke. They were always first to arrive, along with Sophie and Andy, who were nineteen and twenty-one.

As they got out of their car another pulled up with Uncle Marcus, Aunt Abigail and Eddie, Jacob, Howard and Annie.

Antoinette already had a bad feeling about this dinner. It was rare for all of her cousins to come, and even more unusual for them to get on.

Age nineteen Toni, as she now preferred to be called, sat in her bedroom. A photograph was on her lap. It was from her seventh birthday - a month before the Depression started. It was of her and her cousins. She didn't see them or speak to them now. Annie was somewhere in Europe, she had left as soon as she gathered enough money and with the war she had disappeared, or so Aunt Abigail told Grandma.

Toni had never gotten on with Sophie, Granddaddy said their personalities clashed, the both always had to be right but could never agree. She didn't speak to her at all now, in fact she hasn't even seen her in three, possibly four years.

The boys had all enlisted - Andy in the navy, Eddie in the air corp and Jacob and Howard in the US army.

Everything she knew she found out from her Grandma, because even Granddaddy had little contact with the rest of the family now. It was because of religion and how he had given up on it since her mother had died, how he never mentioned it to her. Toni's curiosity died long ago, she had learnt that she shouldn't question him and it only made him angry.


	3. Chapter 3

The bell for lunch rang and the children hurried into the yard. They were in the yard within seconds, expect one who was still sitting at her desk. That one was Antoinette, her music book was not in her desk where she had put it that morning. She slammed her desk and walked outside.

She wasn't well liked in school, she had the reputation of being stuck up and proud. She didn't have time for people as immature as her fellow pupils.

"Give it back." The dark haired girl stormed up to the two boys.

"Give what back, Ant?" The taller one said.

"My book," Antoinette said, crossing her arms and glaring at them.

"What book?" The other asked.

"I know you took it. I saw you go inside at recess. No one else could have taken it," she said. "Give it back and I won't do anything."

"And what would you do Miss Hazelton?"

"You wouldn't want to know."

"Hey Al, I think we did take that book this morning but I put it in the stove cause I was cold."

Antoinette's eyes blazed and before she knew what was happening she was sitting in front of her teacher with a bloodied hand, waiting on her grandma.

"This is the second time this term Antoinette. If you don't behave we will have to expel you," Mr Peterson said.

"It was their fault!" She said. So she punched him. He deserved it. That book was going to be her masterpiece, now she'd have to start all over again.

"If you put as much time into your schoolwork as you do fighting with your classmates you could be top of the class in history." Antoinette nodded, she had heard it all before, about how she shouldn't get angry but they never did anything about the bullies. So she had to do something, at least that's how she saw it.


	4. Chapter 4

"Toni? Can we speak to you?" She stopped halfway up the stairs and returned to the sitting room where her grandparents were waiting on her.

"Is something wrong?" She asked. She sat on the ground between their two rocking chairs, just like she had always done.

"This came today," Grandma said, handing her a letter. Toni looked at it and her hands began to shake. It was from the conservatoire. The envelope had already been opened, her grandparents wouldn't have wanted her to read it if it was bad news.

She pulled the letter out and read it.

"Miss Hazelton. We are please to accept you at the Kleinberg Conservatoire..." Toni gasped and grinned. She had done it. Everything had finally paid off. She looked up and expected to see her grandparents smiling, but they weren't.

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry Toni but we don't have the money," Grandma said.

"But we have money saved," Toni said.

"Not enough. We've used all of our savings on the farm," Granddaddy said. She nodded and tried not to seem too disappointed.

"Maybe I can get a job this year and try again next year," she said. Yes, that's what she would do, because Antoinette Hazelton never gave up.


	5. Chapter 5

1942 was a year she wanted to forget. It was the end of January when she started getting worried about Granddaddy. He was getting old, but he wasn't well. He slept as much as he could and he always seemed to be in pain, even though he'd never admit it.

"I've got the groceries. They didn't have any sugar," Toni said, walking through the front door. "Is that the doctor's car outside?" Her grandma was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"I called Doctor Black this morning. He's with your Granddaddy now," she said.

"Is it bad?" Toni asked. Her Grandma took one of the bags from her arms and they walked into the kitchen.

"I think so, but he'll tell us soon enough. Do you just want a sandwich for lunch?"

"I'll get it myself."

As she made her sandwich the doctor came into the kitchen. Doctor Black was relatively young and Toni didn't trust him at all because of the way he looked at her, but he was the only doctor in the area.

"I'm afraid that it's not good news Mrs Hazelton. Your husband has a matter of weeks to live. I'm sorry."

He was going to die? Her big, strong, sometimes scary granddaddy was going to die? No. He couldn't. He was too young.

"Is there nothing you can do?" Toni asked.

"At this point all we can do is make sure he's comfortable," Doctor Black said.

"There must be some sort of medicine. What about the hospital? I could take him this afternoon," Toni said. The doctor just shook his head. It was like he didn't want to help. Doctors were supposed to save lives but he was doing the opposite. He was letting Granddaddy die.

* * *

It had been six weeks and he hadn't gotten out of bed in the past two. He slept for most of the day but Toni was always at his side. She couldn't leave him, he had always been at her bedside when she was ill and now she would do the same for him.

"It's getting warm, summer has arrived. You should see the garden, all the flower are coming up. It's so colourful. Remember we planted the flowers together and I wanted to cover the whole garden until you couldn't see any grass?" Toni asked, looking out the window behind Granddaddy's bed.

"You only stopped when you ran out of seeds," he said, and Toni nodded. She picked up the book she was reading and found her last page before her Granddaddy began to speak again.

"You are the image of your mother but you're just like your daddy. You have his spirit, his determination," he said. His voice was low and it seemed he was using all of his energy to speak.

"Am I really like them? I feel like I missed a lot by not knowing them," Toni said, she closed her book and reached forward to take his hand.

"They spoiled you and loved you from before you were born. Antoinette, I want you to promise me something."

"Anything," Toni whispered.

"Don't give up on music. It's been hard recently but never give up."

"I won't. I promise," she said.

"Sing for me," he said, as his eyes closed. Toni swallowed and wiped a tear from her eye.

"Smile the while you kiss me sad adieu,

When the clouds roll by I'll come to you,

Then the skies will seem more blue,

Down in lovers lane my dearie,

Wedding bells will ring so merrily,

Every tear will be a memory,

So wait and pray each night for me,

Till we meet again."

She became aware that the only sound in the room was her breathing. He was gone.

She stood up and fixed his hands on top of the bed covers. She bent over and kissed his pale cheek.

"I love you Granddaddy. Say hello to Mama and Papa."


	6. Chapter 6

She was feeling restless. She felt useless. Everyone she knew was doing something for the war effort and she was doing nothing. Factory work wasn't right for her, Toni knew what she could do. She has already considered her options but joining the Women's Army Corp meant leaving her Grandma and she wasn't sure she could do that, not so soon after losing Granddaddy.

"I've been thinking," Grandma said one night as they ate supper.

"That could be dangerous," Toni said, reaching for another scoop of mashed potato.

"Your Great Aunt Hattie lives all alone in her house in Richmond and you won't be here forever. I think I might pack up and go and live with her," Grandma said. Toni's fork fell to her plate with a crash.

"Leave here? But what will you do with the house?" She asked.

"Sell it. We don't need it Toni."

"But... I grew up here." She looked around the kitchen, where she had spent hundreds of nights doing her homework and learning to cook and playing checkers at the table with Granddaddy.

"You'll always have the memories. I think a move will be better for both of us," Grandma said.

"Great Aunt Hattie only has two bedrooms," Toni said, it was just beginning to sink in. She wasn't going to live with her Grandma, she'd have to find her own place.

"I saw that flyer in your room. Maybe you could join up?" Grandma suggested. "And I'd be more than willing to share my room when you come to visit."

Toni smiled slightly, this was a way for her to play her part in the war and she wouldn't be leaving Grandma alone. It was the perfect plan.

"That sounds like a good idea," Toni said.

* * *

"That's the last box," Toni said, putting a small box full of photographs on her Great Aunt's table.

"Wonderful. Now where are you going Antoinette?" Great Aunt Hattie asked.

"I've been told to report to Camp Rockfish. I'm going to be driving one of the colonels around," Toni answered.

"Well be careful dear, we wouldn't want you crashing again," Grandma said and Toni just laughed.

She was a good driver, that one time when she was seventeen was because of a child running into the road.

"I'll come back as soon as I have leave," Toni said, giving her Grandma and Great Aunt a kiss on the cheek. "Bye!"

She walked out the front door, towards a new part of her life. She didn't know what the army would be like, she didn't know where she would end up. Who knew what the next few years would bring.


	7. The Remembrance

Toni had dropped Colonel Usselbury at his meeting at 11.57 and had been told to collect him two hours later. She had been at Camp Rockfish for one day and was beginning to get used to her surroundings. It was quieter than her home in Washington DC.

She returned to her barrack to unpack her things, which she hasn't had a chance to look at yet. Her uniform came out of her suitcase and into a small wardrobe or a drawer. She had three blouses, three skirts, a light coat, a heavy coat and two different pairs of shoes.

She put her case underneath her bed with everything else she needed. Her textbooks were already sitting on her bed but she hadn't looked at either of them since arriving at the camp.

She picked them up and put them on the floor. She'd start this evening, the tests weren't for another week anyway.

She had left her barracks quickly so she would be early for the colonel. Toni had quickly looked around her new accommodation for signs of what the other girls were like but saw nothing, nothing even out of place. She wasn't very good at making friends, it had never came naturally to her. It probably came from spending all of her time with Granddaddy or playing the piano.

She drove along the road, trying to remember what every thing looked like. She just had to keep driving straight...

She hit the horn and moved quickly as a stupid soldier walked right in front of her. He could have killed himself. He was reading a newspaper, he should have been looking where he was going.

Toni pushed herself off the steering wheel and took a deep breath. The car had hit a tree. Her first day there and she had possibly ruined a car.

* * *

"Here's the new girl." Toni didn't look up from her business textbook as the door to the barracks opened. She had seen who she had presumed were her bunk mates when she was eating dinner. They were loud and laughing and not the sort of people she'd pick as friends.

"How was your first day?"

"I'm Lizzie."

"Where were you before Camp Rockfish?"

Toni still didn't look up but she could feel their eyes on her. She wasn't in the mood to talk to people, she wanted to study and sleep.

"There's a movie playing, do you want to go see it?"

"Just leave her. If she wants to be like that then why should we bother."

The girls started chatting to each other, ignoring Toni's presence. But she couldn't ignore them. They were talking too much and she knew that they were looking at her. She glanced at her watch, it was still early enough to go to the day room.

Within twenty minutes she was sitting alone in the day room, there wasn't a sound except for those outside and no one was looking at her.

But of course it wouldn't last. It hadn't been her day, first the car, and then being late to get the colonel and then the girls in her barrack and now that dumb sergeant from earlier. He sat at the piano and she continued to work.

"In case I forgot to mention it, my name's Jason Walton," he said.

"And now that's settled we can both forget it," she replied. At least she knew who she'd have to avoid now.

"I suppose you don't have a name? Just rank and serial number?"

"Toni Hazelton."

"Tony, like Antony Adverse?"

"Like Marie Antoinette. Let then eat cake," she said. He stood up and walked over to the table.

"You're much more an Antoinette than a Toni," he said.

"I'm glad you think so," she said. She liked her name but she thought it was a bit of a mouthful. But anything was better than being called Ant.

"Look. If you're going to play the stupid piano then play," she said, she had work to do and his looking at her was making her uncomfortable.

"Wouldn't you prefer going to a movie or something Antoinette?" He asked.

"I wouldn't be here if I did," she said, looking at her textbook to find where she had left off. Walton started playing again, he was good. She liked what he was playing but didn't recognise it.

After a few minutes Toni packed her things, she couldn't concentrate. She would go to her barracks, write to her grandma and go to sleep.

She stood up and walked over to the piano, he was scribbling on a piece of manuscript paper.

"What are you doing Walton?" She asked. He looked up and smiled at her.

"Composing Antoinette, a song," he said. She nodded and smiled slightly.

"Sounds more like decomposing," she said, before she walked outside.

Dear Grandma,

I'm fine, I'm eating and sleeping well.

I haven't been in the camp long but it doesn't seem to different to training. I started working today, I'm driving a colonel.

The weather has been nice, there's been no sign of my allergies yet which is good and if I'm lucky I'll escape it again this year.

I hope everyone is alright. I have to go now. I've a lot to do before I go to bed. I'll try to visit soon.

Love,

Toni.

Toni looked over the letter her Grandma had sent to her, checking she had replied to all the important parts, and she had, apart from a postscript from her great aunt asking if she had met any handsome soldiers.

* * *

She could hear the piano before she walked into the day room and she knew it was Walton because it was the same tune as yesterday.

She was surprised, in the last thirty six hours she had seen Sergeant Jason Walton three times and he still tried to be friendly. Usually people gave up trying to talk to her.

She walked into the day room and there he was, sitting at the piano, playing away. He smiled as she stood at the edge of the piano.

"Small world, but I was here first," he said. So he wasn't going to leave, which meant she wouldn't be able to study.

"Wherever I go, you're there first. I'm studying two courses in the Armed Forces Institute and they both have tests coming up. If I went to my barracks to study - it's a WAC barracks Walton, personnel of the feminine gender - you could not get there ahead of me?"

"I'll make it a promise," he said. She turned to leave but he stopped her.

"You should go soak your silly head. You're a vain, egotistical brat Hazelton, creeping into a corner when someone says hello. Did you come into the army for privacy or something?" She hadn't expected him to get mad and she was angry because he was partly right.

"None of your business," she snapped.

"You're crabby, sarcastic, narrow-minded, ill-mannered and furthermore..."

"Furthermore what?" He was so close to getting punched.

"Furthermore I'm crazy about you." He stormed out and she stood, processing what he had said.

He was right, she had been acting like a horrible person and it was all her fault. She had tried to shield herself from people but she had taken it too far.

And he was crazy about her? He didn't know her and she had been horrible to him and he was just trying to be nice.

He had left his music. She put her textbooks on top of the piano and sat down. Trying to play it wouldn't hurt, because he wouldn't be back soon.

After playing his song a few times, with her own changes throughout she played everything she knew from memory from scales and arpeggios to popular songs. Toni had spent nearly an hour playing and she hadn't even noticed time going by, but she had noticed Jason Walton still hadn't returned for his song. He had said he was going home on leave, he must have left without it. She put it back in the envelope and looked at it. She could just hold on to it and give it to him when he returned. Or she could deliver it and apologise at the same time.

* * *

She followed the map to Walton's Mountain until she came to a small store. She stopped, got out of the jeep and walked inside.

A man was standing behind the counter looking through a newspaper. He looked up as she came in.

"What can I do for you?" He asked, with a smile.

"Please could you tell me where the Walton house is?" Toni asked.

"It's just straight down the road. It's a big white house, you can't miss it," he said. Toni nodded and smiled.

"Thank you. Goodbye." She returned to the jeep and followed the directions. As she stopped the car a young man walked out of the house carrying two chairs. They seemed to be setting up for something.

"Hi, I'm looking for Jason Walton."

"He's in there."

"Thanks."

She walked up the steps and knocked on the door, she didn't have to wait long until someone opened it. Jason was surprised to see her, Sergeant Antoinette Hazelton was honestly the last person he expected to see on his porch on a Saturday afternoon.

"Antoinette. Come in."

"Thank you," she said, stepping inside. "Don't bother to apologise."

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Jason asked.

"It's my turn. I know what you think of me Jason because you explained it to me. I just want you to know that if I'm crabby it's nothing personal. I've just been a long time getting over something. And like I said yesterday," she said.

"It's none of my business," he finished.

"Thank you," she said. She stared at him for a few moments and then remembered the other reason she was here. "You forgot your music."

"I what?" He asked.

"Your song, or whatever, you left it in the day room," Toni said, she held out the envelope.

"Thanks. I'd hate to lose this," Jason said.

"I don't want to start another fight but you should lose parts of it," she said. It was constructive criticism, it would make the song better.

"Really?" He asked. Toni began to walk towards the piano.

"May I?" She asked. He nodded and she sat down. She showed him the few changes that she made and he sat beside her.

"Let's try it your way then," Jason said. Toni nodded and began playing.

"It's supposed to have words," he said, stopping. Toni shook her head.

"Words I can't do," she said.

"I'm so glad. From the chorus," he said, and she nodded.

"Antoinette, Antoinette..." Toni stopped and looked at him.

"You're kidding," she said. He took a piece of paper from his shirt pocket and placed it on the music stand. "You're not kidding!" She couldn't believe it. The song was about her.

She laughed as he started singing again and joined in when he told her to.

Jason Walton was definitely not like anyone else she had met before, he had written a song about her when most other people would just ignore her.

She hit the last chord and turned to look at him, still laughing. He kissed her and pulled back quickly with a smile on his face.

"Jason, do you mind keeping it down? John Curtis is still asleep." A pretty dark haired girl around Toni's age walked down the stairs and stopped when she realised Jason wasn't alone. "Sorry. I didn't realise you had company."

"It's fine," Jason said, jumping off the seat. "Mary Ellen, this is Antoinette Hazelton. Antoinette, this is my sister Mary Ellen."

Toni stood up and walked towards Mary Ellen.

"Just Toni please," she said. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too. Are you here for the picnic?" Mary Ellen asked.

"I just came to give Jason his music," Toni said. "I should be getting back to Camp Rockfish."

"Stay for the picnic," Jason said.

"I couldn't intrude," she said.

"We wouldn't notice one more person. We have more than enough food," Mary Ellen said.

"You've came this far. You might as well stay for longer," Jason said. Toni looked between them and nodded.

"Alright then."

"Great. Call me if you need any help," Jason said to Mary Ellen before he grabbed Toni's arm and pulled her out the front door.

Mary Ellen watched in amazement. This must have been the girl Jason was talking about last night.

Mary Ellen couldn't remember the last time Jason had been interested in a girl.

* * *

Jason and Toni walked towards the pond and sat down under a tree. She looked around, it was so green and pretty, you didn't see places like this growing up in the city.

"So is it just you and Mary Ellen?" Toni asked. Jason laughed and shook his head.

"I wish. There's John Boy, me, Mary Ellen, Ben, Erin, Jim-Bob and Elizabeth," he said.

"Seven children," she said. She couldn't imagine it, she'd grown up alone.

"Yep. It's crazy sometimes but it's fun."

"I'm an only child."

"Really?" He asked. "Well that explains a lot."

"Hey!" Toni said, elbowing him.

"I'm kidding," he said with a laugh.

"Do you write a lot of songs?" Toni asked.

"I've done a couple of good ones. I'd like to compose professionally after the war. Or have my own band," Jason replied.

"Do you think you're good enough?" She asked.

"I hope so," he said. "Is it just a hobby of yours or is it your career?"

"For now it's just a hobby, I'd like to make a career out of it but that's easier said than done isn't it?" She said.

"Where are you from Antoinette?"

"Washington, and it's just Toni," she said.

"I prefer Antoinette," Jason replied.

"No one calls me that," she said.

"Except me," Jason said. Toni smiled and shook her head.

"Alright, just you," she said. Jason looked at his watch and stood up.

"We should probably get back," he said. He helped Toni up and they walked back to the house. Outside tables and chairs were set up and Elizabeth was placing plates full of food on the table.

"Smells good," Toni said.

"The girls are good cooks," Jason said, taking a piece of fried chicken.

"Put that back," Elizabeth said. She turned towards them and folded her arms, watching her brother put the chicken back on the plate.

"How did you know?" Jason asked.

"I know everything," she said.

"Sure. Elizabeth, this is Toni. Toni, this is Elizabeth my youngest sister," Jason said.

"Hi," Elizabeth said.

"Hi."

"Let's sit down," Jason said. He and Toni walked over to the porch and Elizabeth watched them.

"Six years," Erin said, standing beside her sister.

"What?" Elizabeth asked.

"Since Jason's had a girlfriend," Erin said.

"No wonder I can't remember any of them then," Elizabeth said.

"There only were three or four. What's she like?" Erin asked.

"I don't know. She seems nice. Why's she here?" Elizabeth replied.

"She was giving Jason something and Mary Ellen asked her to stay," Erin said.

"Do you think he's in love with her?" Elizabeth asked. They looked at their brother who was laughing at something Toni said.

"You can't fall in love with someone you don't know," Erin said. Elizabeth looked up at her and smiled.

"You do."


End file.
